Who has decided to take a summer staycation cruise?

[wowzz]

6 minutes ago, ann141 said:

I think 'basic' drinks are included (don't know which are considered basic) and if under £500 for 3 or 4 nights I might consider it because the ship looks fantastic and it would be great to 'test' it out.Just have to persuade the hubby

As far as I can see,  basic drinks include water and "sodas" whatever that means. So nothing alcoholic! 

Shame - seems a missed opportunity.  And trying to combine a 3 and 4 day cruise seems impossible due to the clunky website.  

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, ann141 said:

Apparently 'basic bevvies' are very basic and just include tea, coffee, juices and sodas🙁

Yes indeed. No good to those of us who like the odd tipple or three!

[ann141]

2 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Yes indeed. No good to those of us who like the odd tipple or three!

I can't see dates or specific prices.I would be willing to have an inside cabin for 3 or 4 nights(and a drink or two!) if the price was ok

[wowzz]

32 minutes ago, ann141 said:

I can't see dates or specific prices.I would be willing to have an inside cabin for 3 or 4 nights(and a drink or two!) if the price was ok

Pete quoted prices that seemed very high - I don't know where he got them from, although he is a travel specialist, but Virgin aren't releasing prices until April 13th.

 

[peteukmcr]

17 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Pete quoted prices that seemed very high - I don't know where he got them from, although he is a travel specialist, but Virgin aren't releasing prices until April 13th.

 

These are the prices quoted by many online agencies and confirmed by one of my contacts. I am in business travel so unfortunately don’t have access to the travel tools for the leisure market such as cruises. Compared to Princess and P&O they are very comparable for similar durations. P&O started at £439 for 3 nights and Princess at £449 (£539 with drinks package and Wi-fi). 

[wowzz]

10 minutes ago, peteukmcr said:

These are the prices quoted by many online agencies and confirmed by one of my contacts. I am in business travel so unfortunately don’t have access to the travel tools for the leisure market such as cruises. Compared to Princess and P&O they are very comparable for similar durations. P&O started at £439 for 3 nights and Princess at £449 (£539 with drinks package and Wi-fi). 

Thanks  - I wasn't doubting your figures, I just couldn't find then online.

Perhaps I'm mean, or not desperate,  but £1000 for three nights, and in essence just two days at sea, for the two of us,  seems excessive,  regardless of the cruise line. 

Makes our 14 night cruise with Princess at £3000 for both of us, including drinks, in October look more and more like a bargain- if it goes ahead of course! 

[P&O SUE]

If the normal cruise programme doesn’t go ahead in September/October does anyone think these round British waters cruises might continue ?

[Son of Anarchy]

34 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

If the normal cruise programme doesn’t go ahead in September/October does anyone think these round British waters cruises might continue ?

On the one hand I would like to think they would, but including some UK ports and extending to up to two weeks. 

 

On the other hand, it's autumn, UK weather is gradually getting colder and I don't see many pax wanting to spend up to two weeks in increasingly colder and wetter conditions.  I don't include myself in that category though.

 

It could well be that PandO are financially forced into running more UK waters cruises if the normal cruise programme doesn't resume September/October.  Which may well be the deciding factor.

 

Wait & see what happens, hopefully some semblance of the normal cruising programme will resume as planned. 🤞

[terrierjohn]

48 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

If the normal cruise programme doesn’t go ahead in September/October does anyone think these round British waters cruises might continue ?

Had my hair cut today and Hannah my lady barber was telling me that a neighbour had contacted his cruise line about their Med cruise in October. He had been advised that as well as testing prior to boarding, they would be tested after every trip ashore, and would be denied re-boarding if they tested positive, and would need to make their own arrangements to get back home.

I just hope this was not P&O.🙄

[P&O SUE]

10 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Had my hair cut today and Hannah my lady barber was telling me that a neighbour had contacted his cruise line about their Med cruise in October. He had been advised that as well as testing prior to boarding, they would be tested after every trip ashore, and would be denied re-boarding if they tested positive, and would need to make their own arrangements to get back home.

I just hope this was not P&O.🙄

 
Blimey, how awful would that be to have to make your own way home, that would be a nightmare! Plus you might have to quarantine in that country before you could travel back.

[P&O SUE]

23 minutes ago, Son of Anarchy said:

On the one hand I would like to think they would, but including some UK ports and extending to up to two weeks. 

 

On the other hand, it's autumn, UK weather is gradually getting colder and I don't see many pax wanting to spend up to two weeks in increasingly colder and wetter conditions.  I don't include myself in that category though.

 

It could well be that PandO are financially forced into running more UK waters cruises if the normal cruise programme doesn't resume September/October.  Which may well be the deciding factor.

 

Wait & see what happens, hopefully some semblance of the normal cruising programme will resume as planned. 🤞

I’d happily do 3 or 4 nights at that time of year! One of the sunniest sailaways we’ve ever had from Southampton was in October!

[Son of Anarchy]

6 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

I’d happily do 3 or 4 nights at that time of year! One of the sunniest sailaways we’ve ever had from Southampton was in October!

Funny old time of year.  A few years ago we sailing in the Solent in November.  Saturday - chucking down with rain, wind gusting to high 30's.  Sunday, so little wind we had to chug back to Port Solent, so sunny we were in T shirts!.  Britain's Great!

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Had my hair cut today and Hannah my lady barber was telling me that a neighbour had contacted his cruise line about their Med cruise in October. He had been advised that as well as testing prior to boarding, they would be tested after every trip ashore, and would be denied re-boarding if they tested positive, and would need to make their own arrangements to get back home.

I just hope this was not P&O.🙄

Without being unkind, repeating what someone told someone who told their hairdresser who then told you, does not lead me to give this story much credence. It's a bit like the "send three and four pence,  we're going to a dance" joke. 

The story is just rubbish - why would you test someone coming back on board, when there is no test available that can pick up CV19 after only a few hours ashore?   

[MX-Drew]

13 hours ago, Son of Anarchy said:

Funny old time of year.  A few years ago we sailing in the Solent in November.  Saturday - chucking down with rain, wind gusting to high 30's.  Sunday, so little wind we had to chug back to Port Solent, so sunny we were in T shirts!.  Britain's Great!

Or as Andrew Marr said while introducing the weather, "This is Great Britain, get over it!"

[zap99]

I had an email this morning saying that P&O are now selling inside cabins .4 July, Britannia, 4 nights £289. Sorry if I missed this posted on another thread.

[ann141]

1 minute ago, zap99 said:

I had an email this morning saying that P&O are now selling inside cabins .4 July, Britannia, 4 nights £289. Sorry if I missed this posted on another thread.

Princess seem to be doing the same.Supply and demand I suppose but it doesn't sound as though numbers will be a lot lower onboard % wise

[zap99]

12 minutes ago, ann141 said:

Princess seem to be doing the same.Supply and demand I suppose but it doesn't sound as though numbers will be a lot lower onboard % wise

I thought/assumed they were only selling balcony cabins to keep the numbers down and ventilation up. Perhaps not.🤔

[MX-Drew]

I notice the suites are sold out but not the balconies so maybe the overall number of cabins to be sold is the same but offering the cheaper insides instead so in other words if an inside is sold a balcony with be removed from sale as well and vice versa.

As they say, some money is better than no money.

Edited April 15, 2021 by MX-Drew

[panamapd]

Might I add, Royal Caribbean have also started to reduce their prices for Anthem.  However I was so incensed at their initial offering, for a family of 3, that I'm no longer interested!

 

As an aside, I'm going solo on Scarlet Lady (Virgin Voyages).  I think the price is quite reasonable.  I've paid £479 for a solo inside.  It also includes $100 of onboard spend (sailor loot).

 

I might now have a look at Britannia!! 

 

[panamapd]

Just booked Britannia for 29th July 2021!  Thanks for the heads up as I hadn't received an email from P&O.  

[wowzz]

I seem to be getting daily emails from various TAs telling me about new reduced prices for these cruises, on assorted cruise lines.

Given that Uncle Tom Cobley and all now seem to be crusing around the UK, I'm wondering if supply is outstripping demand, and that some real bargains could be had in a couple of month's time. 

[MX-Drew]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

I seem to be getting daily emails from various TAs telling me about new reduced prices for these cruises, on assorted cruise lines.

Given that Uncle Tom Cobley and all now seem to be crusing around the UK, I'm wondering if supply is outstripping demand, and that some real bargains could be had in a couple of month's time. 

I do note that prices on the cruises I'm booked on have not gone down for the available balcony cabins so unless you want to go with an inside cabin, and that is not for me, then I'm not so sure on the bagin front.

[zoe sproodle]

3 hours ago, panamapd said:

Just booked Britannia for 29th July 2021!  Thanks for the heads up as I hadn't received an email from P&O.  

You’ll be getting on the day we get off then.  We’ve also booked Scarlet Lady, the price did seem a bit high for 3 nights but as she’ll be virtually parked on our doorstep it seemed rude not to...

[P&O SUE]

I haven’t had an email but I was having a little look at the website (as you do!) and noticed the price was so much lower, but then noticed it was an inside - shame😆 

I’ve been in insides lots of times but only in a balcony on Britannia.
For these short ones with no stops I’d like a balcony. Also the insides look a bit dreary on Britannia, they don’t have the huge mirror that Azura  and Ventura have.

[P&O SUE]

7 hours ago, ann141 said:

Princess seem to be doing the same.Supply and demand I suppose but it doesn't sound as though numbers will be a lot lower onboard % wise

Yes I wondered that.